Conquerors of the capital: photographers from the regions that are worth paying attention to. Where to find a photographer Where to find a good photographer

Hello! In this article we will talk about how a photographer can find clients.

Any beginning photographer has a problem: many people want to be photographed, but no one wants to pay for it. And a person is faced with a choice: either waste time and effort just like that, or remain with a minimum of practice. In this article I will try to tell you how you can find clients, what you need to do for this and how to communicate with people correctly so that they pay.

Where to find clients for a photographer

First let's talk about channels. There are only 8 of them, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. I will try to briefly describe the pros/cons of each method.

Social network

Social media is a great way to attract customers for many types of businesses. Photographs are no exception here. It works something like this: you gain subscribers, post the best photos, and people come to you. Everything is simple and clear.

The most effective way to look for clients is on VKontakte and Instagram.

Pros:

• Cheap.
• Just.

Minuses:

• It takes a lot of time.
• It is difficult to notice the group among other competitors.
• Openness to criticism. And there will be a lot of it.

This is the simplest, cheapest and quick way receiving clients. You upgrade your personal brand, show yourself as a cool specialist, and people come to you. With the right approach, this can be done for free.

Familiar

Friends can be your first clients if you have just started taking photographs. True, they are unlikely to pay you, but they will definitely do everything you say. Everyone loves a freebie photo, especially a well-taken one.

Pros:

• Real clients.
• It's very easy to attract them.

Minuses:

• Too cheap (free).

The best time to photograph people you know is when you are not confident in your skills or want to hone a certain type of photography. No one will tell you anything, because you work at a low price, and you will have room for imagination, creativity and experience.

Freelancing sites

An option for those who want to earn money right away. This also includes photo stocks and photo banks as ways to sell your photos to at least someone. You register on the site, select interesting orders, send the result and, if the customer is satisfied with everything, receive money.

Pros:

• Just.
• Brings good money.

Minuses:

• Lots of competitors.
• Thematic shooting.

Business card website

Business cards, as a way to attract customers, are actively promoted by website designers. It's simple - you made a website, posted a link, and a flow of clients comes to you. True, they don’t tell you that if you don’t buy, no one will come to your site. And if it does, it will be from another source, and the business card will simply play the role of a portfolio.

Pros:

• It's very easy to do.
• Can give a good flow of clients.

Minuses:

• Expensive. Advertising costs a lot of money, especially in the popular segment.
• Instability. Advertising costs may not be recouped.

Full site

This is already an option for photo studios. You also need to use SEO to promote it in search engines. Even though it’s 2018, there are still few good sites that are promoted through search engines in the photo segment.

Pros:

• Stable flow of clients.
• Having done everything correctly once, then you can only work on the little things.

Minuses:

• Relatively low in all types of photography, except wedding;
• It is difficult to find a good specialist for little money.

If you have 50 - 100 thousand rubles, knowledge in SEO and the opportunity to work on the site for 3 - 6 months, then it’s definitely worth using this channel.

According to many photographers, this is their main source of clients. After the shooting, people left happy, posted the pictures on social networks, showed them to their friends, told about you, and now new people want to use your services. At competent work with clients and good skills, you will easily get new clients just because you work well with old ones.

Pros:

• For free.
• If you do good work, there will really be a lot of clients.
• You don't have to do anything extra work.

Minuses:

• Not suitable for beginners.
• It is difficult to predict the demand for services.

If you are a cool photographer, your friends will recommend you. With proper professionalism, this will become your main channel for attracting clients.

Let's summarize briefly:

• If you are a beginner and want to get your first clients, look for them on social networks and through your friends.
• If you want money and a minimum of creativity, take a look at photo stocks and photo banks.
• If you have money, make a cool business card and drive traffic to it. It’s better to leave advertising setup to a professional.

How can a photographer attract clients from social networks?

Now let's move on to specific instructions - what you need to do in order to attract clients from social networks.

Step 1. Create a personal page.

This is the very first stage that everyone who wants to have a flow of clients from social networks will have to go through. You need to design your personal page in such a way that it characterizes you as a normal, adequate person and a good specialist.

This is not a subscription to all public pages for photographers and reposts of pseudo-articles about how to work with light correctly. Everything is much simpler here.

The first thing we do is clean the wall, leaving on it 5 - 6 entries that you really need. This could be your work, interesting articles, brief information about you (it’s better to put it in pinned). The main thing is that there are no reposts of any smart quotes and thoughts. Save them to your personal messages; they are not needed on the wall.

Next, we formalize the status in the form “photographer, engaged in such and such photography.” In the pinned news we include information about ourselves and links to examples of work. And finally, we leave working contacts. That's it, you have cleaned the page, you can proceed to the next step.

Step 2. Create a group.

After cleaning the page, we create our own group. You don’t have to invent a wheel and just call yourself “Photographer Ivan Ivanov.” Personal brand after all.

The first members of the group are your friends and acquaintances. In general, all those whom you ask to join, hang, like, comment.

As you progress and learn, new people will come to you and be interested in what you do. Communicate in the comments, give detailed answers if colleagues come, don’t be afraid to share knowledge and pay attention to criticism.

Step 3. Filling the group.

This is the most important step. You need to post interesting, cool and useful content. Few people use this, but good materials help to establish yourself as a specialist and attract attention to your person. You can post:

• Stories from professional experience.
• Tips for beginners.
• Advice to clients.
• Interesting news.
• Your own stories from life that will be interesting to the reader.

In general, everything that will cause a positive response in the form of likes, reposts and comments. Yours the main task- draw attention to yourself and your work. And do it in the most unobtrusive way possible. To understand how to do this, you can look at the communities of famous marketers. They work very well with their audience.

Step 4. We flash in the thematic communities of your city.

If you have a group with photographers in your city where people post examples of their work, show yourself. This won’t give you clients, but it will definitely ensure a flow of readers into the group. And there is recognition, word of mouth and recommendations.

An unobtrusive way of self-PR - you simply comment on posts and offer your photos to public pages. For example, you took a photo of a very beautiful sunset - you posted it to the city’s community, and at least 50 people will visit your page.

The more active you are, the more people will know about you. They will visit the page, someone will become interested, someone will want to use your services. Little by little you will receive a small stream of interested readers.

Step 5. We communicate, tell about ourselves.

This is the final step. People will come to you, see who you are, what you do, and some will ask about work. Don’t be afraid to tell them what you do, how much it costs, how it works, etc. You may not get this person as a client simply because he asked out of pure curiosity, but when a friend approaches him with the phrase “Don’t you know a great photographer? ", he will automatically remember you.

It all sounds pretty simple. The main problem is creating good content that you will post regularly, attract new visitors and turn them into clients.

Post the right materials, and your subscriber base will not take long to arrive!

How to attract clients through a personal website

Now let's talk about your own website - from the idea stage to getting your first clients.

Step 1. Determine how everything will look.

Before looking for a specialist, decide what you will do: a business card website of a couple of pages or a full-fledged website. Then look at your competitors, analyze what is good and what is bad about their sites, and try to imagine how to do better.

Form a picture in your head of what your site will look like. What it will do, where and how information about you will be located, contacts, examples of work, reviews - everything in the smallest detail.

Step 2. We are looking for a good specialist.

The biggest problem is to find a good performer who will do everything to the highest standard, will not miss deadlines and will not be indignant at the edits, and is not too expensive. You'll have to search for a long time.

It is best to find 3 - 5 candidates, discuss working issues in personal correspondence and finally select one of them.

Step 3. We control the site development stage.

After you have found a good specialist, you need to formulate what you want to see: in as much detail as possible, with as many details as possible. Immediately after approval, the specialist begins work and gives you intermediate results. Look, evaluate them, if necessary, make changes at every stage.

The main thing is to attach a feedback form to the site so that they can contact you if they want to use your services. A phone number, a link to a VKontakte page, a widget for communicating on a website - whatever you want, as long as it’s there.

After the site has been made, all the edits have been made and everyone is happy, you can proceed to launching advertising. It is better to entrust this to a specialist, since you risk spending much more on your own. more money. If you want to participate in this, talk to the performer, he will give you advice and explain his actions if you ask politely.

If you have launched a full-fledged website for a photo studio, then you cannot do without SEO promotion. You will have to reach the TOP sites through topical queries. At one time it will cost much more (at least 1.5 times), but in the long run it will give better results.

You should not try to bring your business card to the TOP of search queries. Simply because it is too expensive, takes a long time and is not worth the trouble. I saw an anti-case where a webmaster set out to bring traffic from search engines to . It cost 500 thousand rubles and six months of work for 60 people. Or you could get them for a nominal 50-60 thousand rubles and 2 weeks of work with the context.

Step 5. We receive clients and close them.

If you did everything correctly, after launch advertising campaign clients come to you. But there is one small nuance; you have to do a lot of calculations. How much does each client cost, is it profitable to run advertising, does it bring the expected result, can it be improved or is it better to focus on social networks. All this will have to be calculated, analyzed and conclusions drawn. But if you really try, it will turn out to be an excellent source of clients.

How to create a portfolio

A collection of the most successful works that show you as a professional. It would be better if they were there various works, for all types of shooting for which you accept orders. Family, individual, outdoors, indoors - but only the best.

You need to collect a portfolio in order to show it to interested people. They will want to use your services, and the only way to evaluate you, other than recommendations and reviews, is through your portfolio. They will look, compare with expectations and, if everything is satisfactory, make a positive decision.

A portfolio can be created in 3 different ways:

• Design it as an album on social networks. The simplest and cheapest way to register. Just upload photos. The main disadvantage is that it is very inconvenient to view photos, especially if there are more than 100 of them. You can avoid this quite simply: create different albums with different types shooting.
• Apply on the freelancing website. Actually, a very cool way. There are breakdowns by category and the ability to leave comments. Everything for the convenience of clients. Rude, cheap and cheerful.
• Register on your personal website. This is the most expensive, but most effective option. You choose how you will format it, what text to insert, what to sign, etc. But all this is expensive. The minimum functionality will cost 5,000 rubles. And this is the lowest threshold.

It is necessary to create a portfolio, but how to do it is up to you to decide based on your needs and desires. If you want to look like a tough guy and impress everyone in a small town, it’s better to choose a business card. And if you don’t want to invent anything, create several VKontakte albums.

How to communicate with clients

That's it, a client has come to you. He looked at the portfolio, he liked it, now he will ask you how much it costs, when and how you work. At this stage, the most difficult part begins - communication with a potential client. Your task: remove the word “potential” from this expression and “close” it to your service. Beginners often have problems with this. In order to avoid them, you need to understand one simple thing:

The client is not always right. And most often he just wants to reduce the price or get something for free.

During the communication process you may encounter:

• With rudeness.
• With objections.
• With misunderstanding.
• Trying to prove something.

This is the reality of communicating with people, and you will have to get used to it. Judging by conversations with friends, the most common objection is “what’s so expensive, you’ll only have business for half an hour” - a typical objection from the “price” category. It closes quite simply. Depending on how much you need the money. You can:

• Offer a discount. The simplest option if you encounter such an objection. If you really need money or there is an opportunity to deviate from the original price, you can use it.
• Justify your price. You waste your time, effort and often money on good shooting. And if you get less, you simply may not recoup the costs.
• Abandon the client. Just advise him to go where it’s cheaper, especially if they tell you “Here... cheaper.”

Other objections are rare, so we will not dwell on them. If you want to read more about this, I recommend Alexander Derevitsky’s book “Sales School. What to do if the client doesn’t want to buy.”

Everything else is much easier to work with. If the client does not understand something, you need to calmly explain it to him. If he is sincere, of course. If not - blacklist. With rudeness and attempts to prove something to you, especially if it concerns unfounded and dirty criticism, the blacklist will become your personal friend.

Don't try to waste your energy on crazy loners. Your job is to work with the masses who want it.

How to stand out from the crowd of competitors

Being a photographer today is not easy. Anyone who has bought themselves a DSLR, taken a couple of pictures and at least mastered Photoshop already considers themselves a professional. This means that competition, even in small town, is huge.

There were a little more than 100 people in my course at the university, 4 of whom were “photographers”. At the same time, I did not study for a creative specialty.

One simple conclusion can be drawn from this: if you are a beginning photographer, then almost every 10th person on the street is your competitor. Therefore, you need to somehow distance yourself from them and show that you exist, and you do it cool. To do this you need:

• Have a good theoretical basis.
• Cool portfolio.
• Be able to communicate with clients.
• Create your own style.

Even if you just improve the theory, you can easily overtake most competitors. And with the right portfolio, which you will create during your first practice, you will complete the rest.

In fact, in a large number of amateurs, it is very easy to show yourself as a professional. And if you do this, clients will come to you.

Conclusion

Photography is now a very competitive profession. Of course, 2-3 years ago the situation was even worse, but even now it is far from ideal. It’s difficult for a beginner to break through, get his first clients, reviews and money for his work. Use maximum attraction channels, create a great portfolio, communicate correctly with clients, and your chances will increase significantly.

The services of a photographer at a wedding are irreplaceable: even professional videography will not be able to capture all the nuances of the day that will be reflected in photography. Since even a modest family celebration requires significant expenses, newlyweds need a cheap photographer who can work every day of shooting to the maximum.

It is believed that wedding photography cannot be both cheap and high quality. Our catalog refutes this theory. Professional photographer You can inexpensively photograph the bride and groom in nature, arrange a photo report dedicated to the wedding, plan a fashion-style photo shoot, and all this for less than 20 thousand rubles. You can find photographer services in the desired price range in just a couple of clicks.

How to use the catalogue?

If a photographer offers his services inexpensively, is popular in Moscow and creates beautiful photographs, then his offer will be posted on our website. To access all suitable options, use the convenient filter:

• Select a price. In the category “up to 20,000 rubles” there are professionals asking from 3 to 20 thousand rubles per shooting day. If a photographer is needed for an hour, the actual cost of photography may be lower than the price of a shooting day.
• Select a date. A good, cheap photographer will most likely be busy on popular wedding days. To be able to order the service inexpensively, it is better to negotiate in advance. Explore the options offered. Our catalog contains examples of work from which you can get a comprehensive idea of artistic style every photographer.

Photographers' contacts are available in the portfolio. If you are not sure whether the master is available on the desired day, be sure to contact us in advance and clarify this issue.

A section in which we publish useful materials and selections regarding all wedding subtleties, and introduce you to the work of wedding photographers who have their own special and individual style of work.

Most recently, our editors have prepared a large material about. After publication, we received a huge number of positive responses and requests from agencies asking us to introduce them to new wedding professionals. Therefore, today we decided to draw the attention of our readers to talented regional photographers.

Their portfolio contains thousands of frames, their arsenal of working equipment weighs several tens of kilograms, their works win international wedding photography competitions. To decide on the choice of a photographer, you don’t need to surf the Internet, call agencies or listen to word of mouth. Just read our material and choose. Here they are.

Sergey Bulychev

City: Nizhny Novgorod
Genre: wedding report
Believes: constant cooperation with the largest wedding agencies with professional success
Against: to turn wedding photography into a photo shoot
Consists of: in the world's largest associations of wedding photographers ISPWP and Fearless Photographers
Involved: for publication in well-known international and Russian blogs

Sergey is one of those people who considers recommendations from clients to be the best reward. But still he participates in professional competitions and exhibitions.

International Society of Professional Wedding Photographers, TOP 20 in the Humor category, 2016
- International Wedding Photography Award Wedaward (16 collection winner)
- Best wedding photography Wedisson Award 2016 (17 collection winner)
- Finalist of the MyWed Award 2014 in the “Wedding Erotica” category
- Finalist in two categories of the major international competition Sony Photography Awards 2008

About 3 years ago, I began to realize that I love wedding photography not so much for the shooting process itself (although this is also important and valuable), but for the opportunity to meet new interesting people. I love meeting my clients' families, interacting with talented colleagues (organizers, videographers, artists, etc.), and discovering new parts of the world. All this thanks to the camera.

Of course, beautiful staged portraits are important, and I take them, but it is paramount to capture those moments when people experience the most vivid emotions: the dance of the bride with her father, the hug of her grandmother during congratulations after the ceremony, or the very moment when the groom sees his beloved as a bride for the first time walking to the altar. It is necessary to show not just what people look like, but to convey their essence. This can only be done through a captured moment. “Look at the camera and smile on the count of three” doesn’t work here. Most often, a person does not even notice that he has been photographed. These are the kind of shots that my models notice when they see their photos. After all, when a person looks at such a picture, he suddenly again begins to feel approximately the same as at that moment.

Wedding photography is unique in its own way. Unlike portrait photo sessions, family photography, image projects, the task of wedding photography is to remain relevant after many years. I wish that 20 years later, when looking through a photo book, my clients would not explain to their children that “it was fashionable before.”

What's the most daring photographic experiment you've ever attempted?

Once, for the sake of a professional experiment, I went to Chernobyl. I wanted to feel this atmosphere and learn more about the event that happened 2 months before my birth. The trip left a strong impression, and the photographs are still on my blog in the “Travel” section.

More than I would like, and everything is necessary! Considering the increased responsibility during wedding photography, you need to think about spare cameras, lenses, and flashes... I'm not even talking about memory cards and batteries. I always work with an assistant, and between us we have at least 3 cameras, 10+ lenses, 4 flashes and 300+ gigabyte flash drives. My main suitcase weighs 15-20 kg depending on the shoot. Sometimes this becomes a problem, especially when I fly to other cities and countries, and it is important to take all the equipment in hand luggage, because it will all simply get damaged in luggage.

Evgeny Tyler

City: Saint Petersburg
Believes: that fashion comes and goes, but reportage and classic photography remain
Never: n e misses important points
Dreams: first to film a wedding in outer space
One day: took part in underwater filming with whale sharks

Among the top five of 1,500 photographers in St. Petersburg on the most popular wedding portal on the Runet, Gorko.ru.

What's most important in wedding photos? What result should you strive for?

I strive to ensure that every time my clients look at their wedding photos, they feel the same way they did on their special day and enjoy it again and again. All important and significant moments should be captured in the form of a beautiful family story in photographs.

For me Moscow is new opportunity Unleash your potential and show your eye for beautiful wedding photography. I always feel positive about shooting in new places.

It's a constant non-stop process that starts with meetings at the beginning of the year, advanced training in the spring, filming in the summer and processing in the fall and winter. I combine all this with interesting projects, master classes, filming for the soul and self-development. I spend my free time, which is very little, with my wife and children.

It's obvious that this cool people who love to smile and appreciate beautiful and high-quality photographs that you believe in. They are all certainly united by a craving for the good, positive and kind, perhaps non-standard, which is what I always strive for myself.

City: Ufa
Genre: staged report
Dreams: film something extreme on the verge of equipment breakdown, for example, in a parachute jump, or hanging from the roof of a high-rise building
Proud of: the title of best photographer according to the Wedding Alliance, publication in L’officiel magazine.

What is the most important thing in wedding photographs? What result should you strive for?

I believe that there is no one main element in photography; everything is important here: technique, emotions, an interesting angle, choosing the most advantageous point and location for shooting. But the most important thing is the emotions and mood of the photo. If a moment is caught in the most spectacular phase of its movement, then a lot will be forgiven: composition or some technical mistakes, even color or shade will fade into the background.

The frame should be easily perceived by the eye. If the viewer pays attention to some mistakes, or something confuses him, it means that the moment has been missed, and the frame is simply not finalized. The photographer needs to strive to produce a consistent result not only in the collected series, but also in each photo individually.

How does working in Moscow differ from working in the region?

In my opinion, there are more opportunities for creativity in Moscow. Plus, the Moscow customer is more demanding and more knowledgeable in many areas of fashion and style, including photography.

What was your first wedding in Moscow like?

I went to my first wedding in the capital quite by accident. The main photographer who was supposed to photograph the wedding had an accident on the way to the newlyweds. I was free that day and got ready very quickly, even managed to get to the ransom. This was back in 2007, weddings were completely different, many paid Special attention walks and staged photo shoots in parks. As a result, the newlyweds were pleasantly surprised by the result, everything went easily, I was confident in my abilities, so the result at that time was very decent for me.

How to find contact with newlyweds and liberate them?

It is important to find out what the newlyweds are interested in, what their views on life are, when and under what circumstances they met each other. A photographer is like a doctor. Must be both a psychologist and interesting person, and an expert.

Phone: +79177591343

I remember that it was my first wedding. For the first time I filmed a wedding for friends with a very simple camera, when I was a student, at that time for an interesting 300 dollars (I still don’t understand why they paid in bucks!). I started my work in Moscow because I studied and lived here. The main question for my friends and colleagues is “Why did you leave Moscow for St. Petersburg?” My answer is simple: “For love!”

Meetings are one of my favorite “procedures” at work. You get to know each other, find out what people live and are interested in, and whether there is common ground to freely communicate on these topics during the shooting day. I definitely bring my photo books, because on paper the work looks much more interesting than even on the best monitor. Usually 30-40 minutes is enough for positive decision and entering into an agreement, but only if we really agree that we are suitable for each other. It happens that at a meeting you understand that the couple wants to see something that you don’t do or don’t like to do. I always honestly say that it is worth considering the choice of a photographer. And yes, I always recommend my great colleagues if I’m busy or don’t meet any other criteria.

It’s a difficult question, since in this genre, whatever one may say, the shooting is mostly classical. The scenery, people, the tone of the holiday, the venues are changing, but I haven’t been able to experiment yet, probably this is a challenge! It's time to come up with something. In general, I remembered an incident when the guys took sup-surfs during a walk (inflatable boards the size of a real surfboard, you stand on them and row an oar, the main thing is to keep your balance) and in wedding dresses, right an hour before registration, they went to surf the Neva. Even television has arrived. Not my experiment, but I’m glad that I took part in it and it all ended well.

Who are your clients? What unites those who choose you as a photographer for their wedding?

Most often these are young couples under 35 years old. I don’t know how it happens, but in 60% of cases I photograph intimate weddings with up to 50 guests. Cozy, sincere, very touching. I still communicate with most of the couples, and we are even friends with some. What unites? Yes, perhaps, that we are on the same wavelength. We have the same sense of style, fashion, color, understanding of how a wedding can be held in our time and that the ransom is not an important part, and a limousine or a car with plastic rings on the hood does not mean the coolness or success of the event. Couples listen to me, I listen to them, I advise makeup artists or where to look for dresses so as not to look like a “wedding cake” and so on. In general, I want to become more than a photographer for my couples.

What trends, in your opinion, set taste and style in wedding photography today?

Trends change every year, but it’s very nice that now there are a lot of resources showing how you can hold your wedding. The same Instagram made a huge contribution to the formation of stylish weddings in Russia, websites for brides. Most often this is a light “European” style, pleasant decor, a dress that fits your figure, natural colors and eco-friendly materials. I like this style, maybe in a couple of years there will be something else interesting. This makes me happy, the main thing is not to stand still!

Lyosha Che

“I am the person who is engaged in one of the most aggressive forms of art - photography,” writes Lesha on his VK page. He is originally from Chelyabinsk, but works throughout Russia and even beyond its borders. She is not embarrassed to be a child, loves to create new creative projects and cheerfully answers questions from the editors of our magazine.

What genres do you work in?

I work in absolutely all genres that my client desires. But of course, I give my preference and low bow to reportage photography. Report in his pure form- it's like catching the notes of aromas in a good wine. It’s difficult, but when you catch it, you’re proud!

What is the most important thing in wedding photographs? What result should you strive for?

To experience everything again: to rejoice, empathize and admire, regardless of whether you were part of this day or not - this is probably the most important thing. And the slightly wet eyes and sweet smile of the newlyweds when viewing photographs are the result that is my priority.

Nothing. Feelings, like GOST, are similar for everyone. It doesn’t matter whether it’s Moscow or the regions. We are all very similar when we begin to truly love. Only the background changes.

What is the most daring photographic experiment you have ever attempted or want to undertake?

Those experiments that took place in the past no longer seem so bold, so they are not even worth mentioning. And those that are still in the plans are so bold that I’m scared to talk about them!

What trends, in your opinion, set taste and style in wedding photography today?

I believe that the West, no matter how it is considered, still brings us taste and style in everything. And wedding photography is no exception. What exactly are the trends? There are many of them, and while I’m answering this question, half of them are probably changing their course...

How many cameras, lenses and other gadgets are in your work collection?

Well, why scare readers with incomprehensible and scary names and numbers? I'll just say that all necessary equipment I have it to create amazing pictures, and its weight is no greater than the importance of the photographs themselves!

Denis Kalinichenko

During the interview, Denis seemed to our editors to be one of the most strictly organized and taciturn people. It’s true, time is money, and instead of a thousand words, the best thing is not “Raffaello”, but an impressive list of awards and, of course, photographs.

Best wedding album “Grani” award, Nizhny Novgorod 2017
- Best wedding photographer Wedding awards, Volga region, 2016
- Best wedding photography WEDDISSON award (17 collection winners)
- Best photographer in the “Seven wedding moments” category, Nizhny Novgorod, 2016
- TOP-20 best wedding photographers in Moscow according to prophotos.ru magazine, 2015.
- Finalist MyWed Award 2014
- TOP 30 best wedding photographers according to Prophotos.ru magazine, 2013
- TOP 10 best wedding photographers in Moscow according to zankyou.ru magazine, 2016.

What is the most important thing for you in your work?

I'll say it briefly. I love weddings. I love shooting all day and working with open-minded newlyweds. The favorite among genres is reportage. The most important thing is to catch some bright moment. For example, when the bride hugs her mother and cries. Such pictures will live for a long time and will always be the most valuable.

What does a photographer's work schedule look like?

24 hours a day, 7 days a week shooting and photo processing. I love meeting with clients in my office with a cup of delicious coffee.

Who are your clients? What unites those who choose you as a photographer for their wedding?

These are beautiful couples who love each other. My clients say that I am very easy to work with. This is probably my signature recipe.

Irina Paley

City: Saint Petersburg
Genre: characterizes as a collective - about people’s lives, about the diversity of images, about key events, about the specificity
Loves: take on challenging projects and get out of your comfort zone
Dislikes: fine art photography
One day:“stole” a couple from another photographer. I shot love stories for the guys and ultimately made them fall in love with me and my work
Believes: that even more professional success awaits ahead

In 2008, Irina was chosen as one of the seven “First Ladies of Wedding Photography” at the Wedding Biennale event held in Moscow. Today she is the only lady in our selection. Irina is ready to shoulder the burden of responsibility for photography and a backpack with equipment weighing more than 10 kg on her fragile shoulders.

Among the professional awards are multiple “photos of the day” on the resources MyWed and wedlife.ru, victory in the summer “Wedding Photography Competition” held by the Association of Wedding Photographers, 2nd place in the winter. Irina is also a finalist in the annual MyWed Award competition in several categories: “Special effects without Photoshop”, “Guests”, “Cutting the wedding cake”, “Element”, “Ceremony”.

What is the most important thing in wedding photographs? What result should you strive for?

The photographer needs to feel and maintain a balance - when to take control of the situation, when to step aside, disappear, turn into “eyes” and shoot what is happening without interference. I am a supporter of a sensitive attitude towards the client. If the footage turns out to be ethically controversial, I will weigh many times whether to give it to the client at all or immediately throw it in the trash. My goal is a result that does not depend on whether inspiration has descended. I strive for a guaranteed creative, personal style - this is the first sign of professionalism in a wedding photographer.

What do you remember most from your first wedding in the capital?

I honestly don’t remember it, since it was in Moscow that my professional activity. I lived in the capital from 2004 to 2010, actively filming all these years. I had my first experience of an international wedding, Russian-Italian, in Moscow, and back in 2007 or 2008, I first saw bonbonnieres at a wedding, which were handed out by an incredibly smiling (which also amazed me then) Italian bride to the guests at the end of the banquet. For the first time in Moscow I photographed a Catholic wedding. For the first time in Moscow I photographed a large national Tatar Muslim wedding. Together with my assistant, I photographed both the ritual in the mosque and a separate holiday for men and women, and the most difficult thing at that time was to take portraits of the bride and groom without hugs and kisses, which are prohibited according to tradition. In a word, Moscow gave me a lot of unique, first experiences.

Do you have a favorite or most popular filming location in Moscow?

I am a supporter of choosing places based on the optimal route; this is an extremely important reservation for any large city. A huge advantage of Moscow and St. Petersburg is the abundance of places where you can film; there will be no difficulties with this, as in regional cities, where there are good parks and Beautiful places without panel houses in the background can be counted on the fingers of one hand. I love Chistye Prudy with their romantic trams, and the abandoned pavilions of VDNKh, and Gorky Park, and the site of the Academy of Sciences, and the Mosfilm film town, and the evening GUM, and Kamergersky Lane, and Neskuchny Garden, and the Bolotny Spit. In general, Moscow is beautiful and diverse! The administration is putting a lot of effort into transforming the city, some temporary installations are constantly being installed, all of this is scenery for filming. Regardless of Moscow, I adore observation platforms in any city in the world.

I recently shot business portraits for two psychologists. One of them said that I am very “psychological,” that is, I know when and what to say to a person in order to help him in such an atypical situation as photography, to feel calm and confident. I have never systematized this part of my knowledge, everything came with experience and on a whim. If a recipe can be called honesty with the client, emotional openness to him and calm positivity, then perhaps I have it.

What is the most daring photographic experiment you have ever attempted or want to undertake?

I was filming a photo project in Spain based on a story I made up about the Little Mermaid and the fisherman. Conducted a retro shoot in original costumes from the 20s in St. Petersburg. I filmed a reconstruction of how one of the couples met in Moscow. My favorite work is a story based on the movie “Once Upon a Time in Vegas”, filmed in a villa in Tuscany right on the wedding day! Last year I conducted an inimitably beautiful shoot of a bachelorette party in pin-up style in Barcelona. Starting this year, I also offer my clients aerial photography and aerial videography. Do I show courage in such situations? No, only imagination, since my professional level allows me to be calm about the success of the task, the main thing is to clearly formulate it. Photographers need courage in hot spots.

What trends, in your opinion, set taste and style in wedding photography today?

Perhaps taste in photography is not a temporary or relative phenomenon, but a kind of constant, an absolute, in contrast to style. There is a client for any style, shot “tasty”. There are no trends that can change the client’s desires in photography. Trends are more likely to influence young professionals who are still searching for their direction.

Alexander Shevtsov

Alexander and Karina are like two Twix sticks - they fit perfectly on the work site. A male and female perspective on many things helps to liberate the newlyweds, to find individual approach. The careers of wedding photographers are the result of photo experiments in the past. The guys tried to shoot different things, received approving reviews from colleagues, mostly foreign, and eventually opted for reportage photography.

How, in your opinion, does working in Moscow differ from working in the region?

A couple of hours away. But seriously, like in any other industry, in Moscow there is a larger scale, more opportunities and more interesting projects. The growth ceiling is higher. We are not so far from Moscow, but there is still a lag in trends. People are generally terribly conservative, and this affects the wedding industry as a whole. But due to the proximity of Moscow, new people with completely different thinking and a desire to develop are increasingly appearing.

What is the most important thing in wedding photographs? What result should you strive for?

We have long understood that a wedding is made for the couple and their guests, and not for photographers and videographers. And it needs to be filmed for them, their children and grandchildren. If you manage to take some wow shots that will be appreciated by the photo community, this is the best result.

What does a photographer's work schedule look like?

There is much less filming in winter than in summer. But in winter we spend a lot of time on training, preparing for the season and other wedding-related matters. We always try to distribute all the work evenly and not sew up. In wedding photography it is very big role The morale of the photographer plays a role, so you need to try not to burn out by the end of the season. For this, it is very useful to outsource at least part of the routine in order to free up time for rest or other household chores. Moreover, it is much easier to develop this way without risking current projects.

What trends do you think set the taste and style in wedding photography today?

We think that the basis of wedding photography should always be classics with small additions of current shooting and processing techniques. Here you need to feel the edge. Unfortunately, photography is now divided into the one that clients need and the one that is highly valued in the professional environment. I am glad that more and more good photographers are talking about this and promoting the right approach to business. Now is the time of opportunity. Thanks to the development of the Internet, you can follow top world-class photographers from almost anywhere in the world. The main thing is not to be lazy.

Alexey Pogorelov

The geography of the cities in which Alexey works is impressive: today he is in St. Petersburg, tomorrow in Moscow, the day after tomorrow Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Ivanovo, Crimea are waiting. He jokes about his work schedule: filming, dating, more filming, dating again, and somewhere in between all this, eat a little and sleep.

What is the most important thing in wedding photographs? What result should you strive for?

For me, the story is important so that the viewer experiences the wedding day with us. Style and variety are important. In photographs I value sincerity and sensations. You want to look at a real photograph and immerse yourself in the plot and atmosphere.

How does working in Moscow differ from working in the region?

There are a lot of creative, unusual couples! The presence of a variety of venues, ideas, people with whom you make a wedding. Moscow is my favorite place to film.

The most important title is the choice of my clients and the trust to photograph one of the most important days in their lives. And with some - long-term friendship. When you keep filming for them big story their families and children.

How to find contact with newlyweds and liberate them? Do you have your own signature recipe?

Laughter, laughter and more laughter! A friend photographer is more than just a wedding professional. Most often, I just try to tune in to the guys, find out what is important to them, where their dreams end, if they end at all. All this is important for future shooting.

Phone: +7 906 521 51 50

Anton Varsoba

The weather was terrible, but the couple was beautiful. This is how I can briefly describe my first experience of wedding photography in Moscow. A lot of time has passed since then. Today Anton actively works not only in Moscow, Samara and St. Petersburg, but also in Europe. Grateful clients do not skimp on kind reviews and publish Anton’s works in large quantities on various social networks under the hashtag #varsobabozhenka.

How, in your opinion, does working in Moscow differ from working in the region?

The number of hours spent in the sky. First of all, a change of scenery, new acquaintances, some discoveries and, therefore, new emotions.

How are meetings with young people going?

Open, fun, I almost never fit into a certain time frame, I want to tell everything and explain why it is so.

Who are your clients? What unites those who choose you as a photographer for their wedding?

We must have the same tastes, views on life, on some things. They must understand and perceive my work.

What professional accolades and successes are you proud of?

I can't say that I'm definitely proud of the titles I've been given on wedding portals. Recognition from colleagues and clients is sometimes much more important and valuable.

What trends, in your opinion, set taste and style in wedding photography today?

This is a very broad question: sometimes fashion is dictated to us by Europe, sometimes by design and art, sometimes by specific events and personalities. Sometimes the public simply gets fed up with something and there is a demand for a completely opposite trend. It's also a matter of who is inspired by what.

Anatoly Bityukov

Anatoly is a versatile personality: he graduated from physics and law school, he has been interested in various types sports. But still, photography became his main love. I have spent more than 10 years with a camera in my hand - I studied for four years as a photographer at LOMO College, worked as a sports journalist, and, of course, as a wedding photographer. During this time, he managed to earn himself an impressive track record of titles and awards. Here are just a few:

TOP-50 fearlessphotorgaphers, 2014
- best photographer 2015 according to SPBWEDAWARDS
- The 150 best international wedding photographers for 2016
- multiple finalist of MyWed Award, WPPI, WPJI, WPS, ISPWP

What is the most important thing in wedding photographs? What result should you strive for?

I really like to look at people’s emotions, pure, sincere, which can only be caught without interfering in the situation and predicting it. I was once told that the most important thing is to have something to remember in old age, and you always want to remember what truly pleased you, filled your heart and created an emotional explosion. It seems to me that the most important thing is the atmosphere, the atmosphere of that day: light, color, emotions, loved ones, everyone around. This is what really matters to me in my work.

What do you remember most from your first wedding in the capital?

To be honest, I don’t remember my first wedding in Moscow. All weddings are equally important to me, so I don’t see any difference in which city it takes place. Moscow, Russia, Europe, or any other corner of the planet - photography in any corner of the world gives the same pleasure.

Who are your clients? What unites those who choose you as a photographer for their wedding?

For the most part, my clients are those for whom it is important to have a good time, to have a fun wedding for themselves, and not for someone else.

How many cameras, lenses and other gadgets are in your work collection?

For a good shot, the number of kilograms hanging on the photographer during shooting is not important. But at the same time, for me, as a good collector, every camera and every lens is valuable. Every season I update my equipment.

Evgeniy Shamshura

Evgeniy studied at the medical academy for 6 years, and then worked in a pharmacy for a whole year. He was so bored that he bought himself a Sony Alpha camera, took the first thousand frames, fell in love and changed his life forever. Today Evgeniy Shamshura positions himself as a family and wedding photographer. He tries to do everything he does in his life with soul and love. Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Crimea, Italy, Georgia, Spain - for the sake of good shots ready to go anywhere in the world.

First place in the ranking of TOP5 photographers in Nizhny Novgorod according to the Gorko portal.
- Winner of the Nizhny Novgorod annual wedding award “Grani” in the “wedding series” category.
- Repeated finalist in international competition MyWedaward 2014, 2015.
- Winner of the international competition MyWedaward 2016 in the Group Portrait category.

What is the most important thing in wedding photographs? What result should you strive for?

The story of the day is very important to me. So that not only my newlyweds would remember their day in great detail, but also their grandchildren could fully see the day through the eyes of their grandparents. We need to strive for such a full-fledged story, to make it beautiful and bright.

During the meeting I always work positively, share my experience with the guys and sincerely wish that their day will be as great as those of the 250 couples whose wedding I have already photographed.

Who are your clients? What unites those who choose you as a photographer for their wedding?

My clients are couples who truly love each other, those who make the wedding not only for themselves, but also for the guests, those who add zest to their wedding.

What trends, in your opinion, set taste and style in wedding photography today?

Trends? It's quite difficult for me to answer the question. These are just my observations, maybe someone will disagree. For example, a few years ago, a tilt-shift lens was popular, then the fine art style, and a little later they paid more attention to reportage photography. I can’t say yet what awaits us in 2017. We're waiting for the season and we'll see.

How many cameras, lenses and other gadgets are in your collection?

I have more than 5 cameras and twice as many lenses in my collection. Sometimes I myself wonder why I need so much, but I understand that I need everything, and every year I buy something new.

Kirill Zorin

Kirill is a photography teacher, a workaholic and the owner of 30 kilograms of professional equipment. Kirill’s photographs made it to the finals of the annual MyWed Award competition and became photographs of the year on the same portal, but he himself is modest and says that best reward- satisfied clients.

Pay attention to whose photos your friends post. If you like the pictures, this is a good reason to look at the photographer’s portfolio.

The photographer can also be found on specialized websites such as Fashion Bank and Podium.life. Wedding photographers live on Mywed, and if you want children's or family photography, visit Disfo.

2. Don’t be fooled by free shoots

Yes, there are people who will rent you for free. This can happen in two cases: either the photographer is a complete beginner, or your type is suitable for realizing his own idea.

Beginner photographers cannot guarantee the quality of the result. Maybe you'll get good pictures, maybe you won't. If you are ready to play Russian roulette, then take the risk! Sometimes this makes for good photo shoots.

If you come up experienced photographer to implement his idea, it’s too early to rejoice. We must first find out what exactly he is going to film. Maybe he wants to film you in rags on an abandoned chicken farm (an absolutely real case, by the way). Do you want such photos?

The photographer will shoot you exactly as he needs, and not as you need.

In the case of a free shoot, be prepared for the photographer to give away as many pictures as he deems necessary. And he will do it when he wants.

3. Expensive does not mean good

In Moscow, a two-hour portrait shoot can cost 5,000 rubles, or maybe 100,000 rubles. And it’s not a fact that a more expensive photographer will photograph you better than a cheaper one. There are good photographers in any segment, the main thing is to look. How to distinguish good photographer from bad? Right! According to his portfolio.

4. Evaluate your portfolio

You should like the portfolio. And there should be photos similar to those you would like to receive. Let's say you want bright portraits with rich colors, but the photographer's portfolio is entirely black and white. In this case, it is better to look for someone else to shoot.

When you look at a portfolio, try to evaluate not the beauty of the models and their outfits, but the work of the photographer. What should you pay attention to?

Naturalness

If the people in the photo look natural, believe me, it's worth a lot. If all the models look tense and strained, then most likely the same fate awaits you.

Atmosphere of the place

How is the atmosphere of the shooting location conveyed? Do you have a story in your head about what is shown in the photograph? Do you believe what is happening on it? If yes, then this is a good sign.

Variety of poses

If in all the photos the models stand or sit the same way, it means that the photographer does not know how to control the posing of the models. Most likely, he will not choose poses for you that will emphasize the advantages of your figure and hide flaws.

Specialization

The more narrow specialization for a photographer, the higher the quality of his photo. Does your photographer only shoot portraits in the studio? Amazing! If he shoots weddings, and portraits, and children, and food for menus, and New Year's corporate parties- this is a bad sign. Would you go to a dentist who works as a surgeon twice a week, sometimes replaces a therapist, and does ultrasounds on weekends for part-time work?

Treatment

All photographers process their photographs. You don't have to understand the intricacies, you just have to like the processing. Because your photos will be processed the same way.

The main thing is not to count on the same pictures as in the photographer’s portfolio. These are his best photographs over the years of work. Probably professional models posed for many of them.

But it still makes sense to choose a photographer with the portfolio that you like best. What he shoots for you will be slightly lower in quality than the portfolio materials.

5. Ask for a photo of your type

It’s good if your portfolio contains pictures of a person with your type of appearance. If you don't find it, ask the photographer to show it. If in your portfolio you only see photos of 18-year-old models weighing 45 kg, then maybe he just doesn’t know how to shoot girls over 30 with imperfect figures. Do you want to become the subject of experiments for your own money?

6. Assess how comfortable you are in communication.

You and the photographer should have a pleasant experience. If something bothers you in communication, it is better to immediately find someone else. You should be relaxed while shooting. Tension will ruin even the best photos.

Take care of your comfort - main responsibility photographer He will tell you in detail about the process itself. Will answer all your questions. It will remind you the day before so you don’t forget anything. In general, she will be a mixture of best friend and mother. That's why he's a professional.

7. Meet before the shoot

Arrange a meeting with the photographer a few days before the shoot. Have a cup of coffee together. He will see you in person and this will help him decide how you will pose for him. If you're shy on set, meeting on neutral territory will help you too. After it you will feel more free in front of the camera.

You will also discuss in detail what kind of photographs you need. Establish contact with each other, then you won’t have to do this on the set.

If after the meeting you realize that you are uncomfortable with the photographer, feel free to cancel the shoot. You definitely won't get any good pictures.

After meeting with the photographer, you should not have any questions left - only joyful impatience. If so, then you are in in good hands and very soon you will enjoy new photos.

Wedding photos are a must! Photos from your wedding are a story, the story of your family, your day, a story that you will tell your children and remember later long years. Isn't this day worthy of staying with you in beautiful photographs?

Think about this in advance, start following photographers, their publications, portfolio updates, form your idea of ​​what you want your wedding to look like.

Where to look for a photographer?

First of all, you should ask your friends and acquaintances. No one can tell you about the photographer better than the bride and groom he photographed. They know how comfortable it is to work with a photographer, how he interacts with guests, how he participated in organizing the wedding, and they will simply show you photographs from their wedding. In addition to recommendations from friends/acquaintances, be sure to visit specialized Internet sites.

What should you pay attention to when looking for a wedding photographer?

Photos

No matter how trivial it may sound, the first thing you need to pay attention to is how the photographer shoots! Look at a lot of photos, follow new series, compare, choose exactly the style, color and emotions that you like!

However, always ask the photographer to show a couple of weddings in their entirety, exactly the material that his clients received! This will help you understand how consistently the photographer shoots, whether his style and quality is maintained throughout the day, or whether he only manages posed shots

Comfortable communication

A wedding photographer is the person with whom you will spend the entire day, from the early morning when he will take pictures of the preparations and ending with the final volleys of fireworks at your reception. Therefore, special attention should be paid to how comfortable you personally are in the photographer’s company, whether he understands you, whether he listens to your wishes, and whether he can put you at ease for taking photographs. Ultimately, you will remember exactly the mood that was at your wedding!

Price

Don’t choose a photographer based solely on price, because there will always be someone who can do it cheaper. However, the disappointment of bad photos will last much longer than the joy of a low price!

Naturally, it is not always worth chasing only the most expensive, because again, price is not always an indicator of quality. Think about what will remain with you after 20 or 30 years? Choose the photographer whose photographs, first of all, you like, because this is a memory for the rest of your life.

Just compare the cost of a photographer you like and, for example, the cost of a wedding dress you like.

Participation in preparation

An experienced photographer knows how to correctly plan a walking route and will tell you about the advantages and disadvantages of a particular location for shooting specifically for your wedding. Working in this area, photographers know many artists, presenters, designers, videographers, they can advise where to go to make invitations or gifts for guests, and they simply have much more experience and will be able to warn you about some subtleties in preparation.

Agreement

Every self-respecting photographer has a contract for photography services. Yes, not everyone enters into it; for many, the presence/absence of an agreement is not an important factor, while others, on the contrary, want everything to be strictly official and documented. The contract will help you avoid possible problems with deadlines or will serve as evidence in the event (I hope it never happens) of damaged photographs. For a photographer, a contract can also serve as protection from unscrupulous customers who will refuse to pay for his work or will make unfounded claims about the quality/style/processing of photographs. It’s up to you to decide whether to conclude an agreement or not, but a responsible photographer will never be afraid of an agreement, he is confident in his work and will not mind that you also have such confidence.

Questions

Ask the photographer a lot of questions, even if they seem funny or ridiculous to you. It's most likely your first time getting married, and it's normal to have a lot of questions. Find out any details about the shooting that interest you, tell the photographer your thoughts and experiences, ask his opinion and, most importantly, trust him!

It remains only to say one very important thing - a successful, beautiful and interesting shooting depends only 50% on the photographer, the rest is your work!